Apple adds anti-eavesdropping feature to iMessage

Apple says its iMessage Contact Key Verification feature will let people facing “face extraordinary digital threats” like activists, politicians, and journalists ensure that no one is eavesdropping on their conversations.

The Cupertino-based tech giant explained that conversations between two iMessage users with the feature enabled would automatically alert the users if an “exceptionally advanced adversary” has access to the chat.

Apple says iMessage Contact Key Verification will also let users compare a Contact Verification Code in person, on FaceTime, or through a secure call.

While the feature may seem like overkill for some, attackers have targeted journalists, activists, and politicians through their iPhones in the past.

In August 2021, an updated version of the Pegasus spyware, deployed by the NSO Group, was found on a Bahraini activist’s iPhone. It was determined to have been on the device since February of the same year.

The device was running iOS 14, and according to Citizen Labs, the updated Pegasus hack uses a “zero-click” attack that does not require user interaction.

The spyware could bypass Apple’s BlastDoor security feature in all iOS 14 versions, an aspect designed to stave off these hacks.

In July 2021, President Cyril Ramaphosa’s phone number appeared in a leaked database of potential targets of the Pegasus spyware.

The leaked list was believed to include persons of interest to the government clients of the NSO Group.

The Guardian reported that Cyril Ramaphosa’s number appeared to have been selected by Rwanda in 2019.

While Rwandan authorities denied that they had access to NSO Group technology, they have long been suspected of being a client of the spyware firm.

Now read: Hacking teams exploit Samsung Galaxy S22 zero-day twice — win R1.3 million

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Apple adds anti-eavesdropping feature to iMessage